DUBAI — Chalhoub Group has revealed that Michael Chalhoub, 37, will take over as chief executive officer from his father, Patrick Chalhoub, effective Jan. 1. The transition represents a pivotal moment for one of the Middle East‘s biggest luxury retail groups as Patrick moves into the role of executive chairman after more than two decades of leading the company.
Chalhoub Group manages a network of 773 retail stores and 65-plus e-commerce platforms, with more than 16,000 employees across the Middle East and North Africa. The company serves as the regional distribution and joint venture partner for hundreds of global fashion, luxury and beauty brands including a portfolio of LVMH Moët Hennessy Louis Vuitton labels: Louis Vuitton, Christian Dior, Fendi, Celine and Sephora. In addition, the group is the regional partner of Puig, Christian Louboutin, Versace, Jimmy Choo and Jacquemus, among others.
This transition marks a new chapter for the luxury retail and distribution group, which has been led by the Chalhoub family for 70 years. In an exclusive joint interview with WWD ahead of the handover, father and son shared their vision for what lies ahead for the family-owned company.
Patrick — who has served as CEO for more than two decades, succeeding his own father Michel Chalhoub, who founded the business — has been preparing for this moment for several years. The group set in place a rigorous succession planning process with an internal and external search, which included nonfamily members. “I’ve always said I wanted this moment to come between my 65th and 67th birthdays. Now I am turning 67, so we are on track,” he said.
“I have always said that there is a cycle in the lifetime of a business plan — the period where you learn, the period where you do and the period where you teach,” Patrick explained. “I wanted to make sure that I could control the period when I let go, to ensure an efficient and well-planned transition.”
He emphasized the importance of an “orderly transmission” of leadership, ensuring a smooth handover to the next generation. The planning process involved restructuring the company’s advisory board, transitioning longtime employees into nonoperational roles, and building a younger, more collaborative executive committee. “It all began three years ago when we started changing our board, who were ultimately in charge of taking the decision on who the new CEO would be,” Patrick said.
He went on to explain that it wasn’t a presumption the role of CEO would be given to a family member; in fact, the fact group went through a systematic process to ensure it had the right candidate and the roles and responsibilities were clearly defined. “We worked with a headhunting company on the process to recruit, on how we define the role of the executive chairman, the role of the CEO,” he explained.
He added the board considered 21 internal as well as external candidates, who went through several rounds of reviews.
“This systematic process was so very important and reassuring for both the group, for the family and for Michael himself,” Patrick said.
The succession comes after Michael’s four-year tenure as head of joint ventures for the group as well as president of strategy, growth, innovation and investment. He successfully expanded the group’s portfolio, adding new key category partnerships like EssilorLuxottica while driving digital transformation and innovation initiatives.
“Taking on the management of our joint ventures was a way for me to directly address one of the key priorities that was keeping my father up at night,” said Michael, who explained he worked within the company in two different periods of his professional life, the first time running Michael Kors in the region. At the time he said he left because he didn’t “always see eye to eye” with the top management, including his father.
When he rejoined the group in 2020, he said: “I focused on streamlining and strengthening critical partnerships, and I think I was able to demonstrate my ability to navigate the complexities of the luxury landscape and create value for our business.”
Michael, who holds an MBA from Harvard Business School and also successfully launched his own sports media business in Dubai, brings a forward-thinking approach to his new role as CEO. While he aims to pioneer change and future proof the business, he acknowledged the legacy created by his father and grandfather.
“I feel incredibly lucky to be in this position, and I’m humbled by the responsibility that comes with it,” he said. “My focus will be on continuing to create value for our consumers, partners and employees, while also driving innovation and fostering a collaborative, inclusive culture.”
When asked if he grew up thinking he might be fit for this role some day, the younger Chalhoub replied: “I did think that there was a probability that I would try to succeed Patrick’s shoes. Obviously, this business has stayed led by a family member for the last 70 years. And so it would be deaf for me not to think that there was a chance that this would happen.”
The Chalhoub Group’s story began when Patrick’s parents, Michel and Widad Chalhoub, established their first venture in Damascus, Syria, in 1955 after securing the first regional distribution rights for Christofle, which is now owned by Chalhoub Group. This first partnership laid the foundation for what would become the Middle East’s premier luxury retail and distribution group.
As political tensions rose in Syria in the 1960s, Michel demonstrated the resilience that would become a hallmark of the family business, relocating operations to Lebanon in 1965 and later to Kuwait in 1975 following the outbreak of civil war in Lebanon. The company’s ability to adapt and thrive during challenging times became part of its DNA, embodied in Michel’s oft-quoted philosophy: “We are des battants, fighters. The enemy is not competition, hard times or new ways…what we fight against every day is complacency.”
Patrick’s journey with the company has mirrored the group’s own evolution across the Middle East. After relocating through Beirut and Kuwait, he joined the family business in 1979, eventually settling in Dubai in the early 1990s. In 2001, he was appointed co-CEO alongside his late brother Anthony, marking the beginning of an era of unprecedented expansion for the group.
Under Patrick’s stewardship, what began as a regional distribution business has evolved into the Middle East’s leading luxury retail and distribution group. The company has built an extensive portfolio of joint ventures with the world’s leading luxury houses across fashion, accessories, watches, jewelry, eyewear and home categories. This expansion extended the group’s footprint beyond the traditional Gulf markets of the UAE, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Bahrain into countries like Egypt and Jordan.
The handover comes at a pivotal time for Chalhoub Group, which continues to adapt to rapid changes in retail. Michael shared he would like to further expand into new markets and territories like Latin America and the U.S. The group has invested heavily in digital transformation, creating an omnichannel experience across its large network of stores and online platforms. Their future-focused approach includes investments in retail tech, data analytics, and innovative retail concepts through their Greenhouse incubator program.
In his new role as executive chairman, Patrick will focus on long-term strategic partnerships and guiding the group to thrive sustainably in an evolving regional and global landscape. He will continue to oversee the company’s sustainability and ethics initiatives, as well as the audit function, ensuring the organization maintains its vision and mission while upholding its foundational values. The company has made significant strides in sustainability and inclusion, with women comprising 61 percent of its workforce and 41 percent of management positions and is on track in its commitment to reach net zero emissions by 2040.
Additionally, Patrick will serve as the interface between the board and the executive team, providing guidance and support without being involved in day-to-day operations. “It’s important that we build trust and not try to prove ourselves by doing the opposite of what the CEO is doing,” Patrick said. “My role will be to support Michael, while allowing him and his team to lead the business.”
Michael is committed to creating a collaborative culture at the company as its new leader. “One of my biggest achievements even in the last few years is fostering a culture of innovation by building a collaborative and inclusive culture around me where people are not afraid to speak their mind, to debate, to share some of their experiences,” he said. “I value surrounding myself with people that have incredibly diverse backgrounds, whether it’s the industry they come from, years of experience, gender. There is a lot more diversity, and those people are not just there to say yes, but they’re there to share their mind, and to have very heterogeneous conversations when we’re in the boardroom.”
As Patrick steps away from daily operations, he acknowledged feeling very comfortable in the carefully executed succession plan that ensures continuity as the company evolves, while staying true to its family values and heritage.
“I really feel very relaxed and very content in the way things have been done.”
He also shared he is looking forward to the road ahead. “In February I’m taking a course related to sustainability at Stanford, which I’m very much looking forward to having the time to do,” to which Michael responded with surprise, laughing: “Oh, that’s the first I’m hearing of this.”
“We’re not getting rid of you, Patrick,” Michael joked, acknowledging the guidance and support his father will continue to provide.
